Tears
by Tempest Breeze
Summary: One-shot. A ten-year old Naruto fails one test...again.


Naruto took a sudden interest in the ceiling as Iruka once again lectured on about the importance of them and their abilities to the village-blah blah blah. It was the same thing everyday. Why couldn't the class learn something useful for once, like a Bunshin jutsu that wouldn't fail the moment it was brought into existence- at least for him- or something actually useful?

Naruto groaned as his placement as 'Dead-last' was made known again. Blah blah, he didn't pass, blah, blah, blah. He knew already! Now Iruka-sensei was droning on about a quiz on the trajectory of kunai and the speed at which you could reach something with a chakra boost- wait. What?

His head flew up at the mention of a test. He groaned again. What had he done to deserve this? Well, there was that orange paint bomb in the teacher's lounge last week… But that was beside the point. Naruto snatched up the paper that was set before him. Okay, now, problem one… what? 'Describe the chakra flow of a person throwing a kunai at an enemy nin.' How the-

Naruto threw back his head in despair. This dreaded test- again! Was it just him, or did his teachers purposely want him to fail? He glanced at Iruka. No, he was too encouraging. Then he noticed Mizuki-sensei out of the corner of his eye. Would he-?

Nah. Naruto smacked his head. He was being paranoid again. Naruto turned back to the dreaded test. He broke out his pencil and set to work.

A half-hour later, Naruto handed back the paper with a smile plastered on his face. This was it! He was sure he'd pass this time! No way were they gonna doubt his intellect now, believe it! Iruka was given the paper, and a frown crawled onto his face. That frown deepened as he raised his hand to the test with a red pen in his grasp. He started scribbling something down in the margins of the test paper. Naruto's sensei had a sorrowful look on his face after class was over.

Iruka looked up at Naruto. "I'm sorry, but you didn't pass." A horrified expression spread across Naruto's features. "EH?!"

He shifted from a look of shock to one of utter hurt. Naruto flew out the academy doors with tears starting to form in his eyes. He bit back the tears. It was no use crying. He'd already failed one of the important tests for the fourth year students. The words echoed in his mind, '..you didn't pass.' He didn't understand why he failed, though. Was it like he thought? Did all the teachers (besides Iruka) hate him so much that they would purposely make the test really hard for only him? He wouldn't put it past the band of bozos to do that, since they all treated him like he was a disease, or some kind of demon.

He stopped running once he was home, and the tears began to fall. Muffled sobs escaped his trembling figure. The ten-year old collapsed onto his bed and held his musty pillow to his face, effectively dampening the surface. This wasn't just about the failed quiz anymore. This was about all the hurt he'd endured the past decade. The piercing icy glares. The shop owners forcing him to take the most unwanted clothing or outdated food for the most outrageous prices so he would just get out of their range of vision. The villagers constantly barraging him with beatings. The endless whispers of demon brat, monster, fox…even murderer.

Naruto finally let down his mask of idiocy and cheerfulness, and let the barred emotions of loneliness, sadness, and even hurt flood back into his body. Usually he'd just shrug it off and go vandalize the Hokage Monument. He knew why he'd finally cracked. That one test had done the trick. He'd finally broken under all the pressure and let his true feelings leak out.

For an unknown period of time, the young ninja trainee sobbed into his pillow. Then there was a harsh rapping on the front door. Naruto immediately dried his tears and sat up. He would be strong. He NEEDED to get stronger. So the villagers would finally acknowledge him, he would become Hokage! Believe it!

The knuckleheaded ninja instantly plastered a grin on his face and answered the door. It was Iruka. The young chunin gave an awkward smile to Naruto. He scratched the back of his head.

"Naruto," Iruka said hesitantly, "I'm sorry I couldn't pass you. But," he added," there is a makeup test you could take." Naruto's grin widened so far it could have split his face.

"REALLY?!" Iruka winced at the sheer volume of the blonde shinobi's exclamation.

"Yep."

"You'll take me for ramen once I've finished, right, Iruka-sensei?"

"Sure...I'd better get my paycheck before then. Right now I'm flat broke, and don't you have a habit of eating me out of every yen coin I earn?"

"Whatever…" Naruto muttered. "Now, let's go get some ramen!"

Iruka's hand immediately drifted to his pocket, and he let out a sigh.


End file.
